In the 14-year period of 2005 through 2018, canines killed 471 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (311) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

5 Dogs FoundUPDATE 08/12/09: The Washington Post reports that a total of 5 dogs were found inside the home: one pit bull puppy and caged cocker spaniel both unharmed, one dead pug-mix and two pit bulls "covered in blood," according to Adrienne Lawson of Loudoun County Animal Control. Delaney's brother and owner of the pit bulls, Thomas Delaney, will meet with police today to determine the fate of the dogs. No further information was provided about the pit bull puppy.

08/11/09: Autopsy Shows Death by Dog Bites Autopsy results show that Carter Patrick Ridge Delaney died from lack of blood and oxygen due to multiple dog bites. His body, along with a dead pug-mix and two pit bulls, was found inside of his grandfather's home by his grandfather. The pit bulls were owned by Delaney's brother, who was not named, but Delaney was reportedly their caretaker. Police say the dogs were licensed and vaccinated. There is no indication the pit bulls were being used for fighting.

08/11/09: Mauling Victim Identified According to authorities, Carter Delaney was discovered about 2pm on Monday. Police say Delaney's body was found in the basement. A small dog was also killed, and found next to Delaney's body. Delaney's friends have posted their condolences on Facebook. One friend even wrote about the attack, claiming Delaney may have been trying to protect his mom's dog from the others. Loudoun County Animal Control is currently holding the offending pit bulls.

08/10/09: Mauled to Death by Pit Bulls Leesburg, VA - Investigators say a 20-year-old Leesburg man was found inside his home mauled to death by his pit bulls. Four dogs -- two pit bulls and two smaller dogs -- were located inside the home. The pit bulls were roaming free, one of the smaller dogs, a cocker spaniel, was in a cage and the other small dog was dead. Nick Perry, one of the victim's friends, said he was trying to break up a fight between his pit bulls when he was attacked by them.

As word spread of the young man's death, grief apparently grew into aggression and at least one person had to be subdued by police in front of the family home. "I think just the emotion of what has happened here, I think they are just reacting to that," said Officer Chris Jones of the Leesburg Police Department. Morgan Hunt, another friend of the victim said, "I bet he woke up this morning like a normal morning and then this happens. It's insane, it's devastating."

It is not uncommon for a pit bull owner to be violently attacked by his dogs. Such attacks are consistently in the news. What is uncommon is for a pit bull owner to actually believe his dogs are capable of such an attack particularly given the substantial evidence that shows that pit bulls can and do. So far, police have not to release the victim's name. In the meantime, grief counselors have arrived to help calm several friends struggling to accept the tragedy.

Yes. And although Virginia State has an anti-BSL measure, the judge still ruled that, "A citizen's right to own a pit bull is entirely different than a citizen's right to adopt." And, "If I were to rely on the statistics alone," he said, "I would have to ignore the evidence that there are differences in breed characteristics."—https://blog.dogsbite.org/2009/05/loudoun-county-animal-care-and-control.html

No, no, no. The AKC blames all dog attacks — fatal or otherwise — on the dog "not being leashed." This victim was an idiot for not leashing his pets in his own home. The city of Leesburg, according to the AKC, needs to "strengthen" its leash laws.

Wow. A twenty year old male killed by dogs. This isn't an elderly man or woman, nor is it a toddler or infant. This was a vibrant, strong, young man. These dogs are so different. Any other dog(s) and this guy could have broke free….got help. Amazing.

60% or more of fatal dog attacks in USA will continue to be attributed to pit bulls. wait and see.

Is there any way to find out where these dogs came from? This man's family should be suing the breeder or rescue where they came from. Someone gave him or sold him deadly dangerous dogs. Do his friends know?

It's easy to get bitten when breaking up a dog fight. However, it's primarily with dogs deliberately bred to fight and kill other dogs where you risk death. Once a pit bull gets in a fight, there's no "off" switch as there is in normal dogs. Pit bulls do not give or react to signs of submission during a fight which is why an organized fight between two pit bulls can last for over an hour. What pit bull breeders glorify as "gameness" is really a stupid and dangerous trait to breed into a dog, as illustrated here. Why get a dog bred to kill other dogs for no reason? Had the dogs been another breed, the young man may have been badly bitten, but probably not mauled to death.

Re. the "seizure" excuse. I once had a poodle mix with epilepsy. He did have more than one seizure in front of my retriever mix and he was never attacked. The retriever mix just stood by looking confused.

"Five dogs were found in the residence, including a cocker spaniel and pit bull puppy, both of which were unharmed. The two pit bulls were taken to the county's animal shelter, said Lawson, who entered the home with police and other animal control officers."

I'll bet it was the cocker spaniel who did it…..I heard that they are the most dangerous dog in America. Dangerous, and smart.

The cocker spaniel killed the young man, then smeared blood all over the pit bulls to make them look guilty. That had to be what happened, because I notice that every pit bull owner who posts on the internet claims they have been attacked by a cocker spaniel at some earlier point in their lives, which is why they now own pit bulls, the gentlest "nanny dog" in the world.

We need to ban these killer cocker spaniels, because they are not only dangerous, but they have now figured out how to frame pit bulls for their own vicious crimes. (Rolls eyes)

A Washington, DC TV station reports a rise in people giving up their pit bull-type dogs to local shelters in the wake of the Leesburg mauling. (http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0809/649054.html). Leesburg is about 30 miles northwest of the nation's capitol.

Why are these grandparents and mothers allowing these pit bulls in their houses? It's pretty obvious to all that their sons and daughters can't find anyone stupid or foolhardy enough to let them have the dogs elsewhere, so they take advantage of the parent or grandparent.

AUGUST 2009 — North Port man was attacked by his own dog Friday and had to be taken by helicopter to a hospital. Police said that Jason Crawford, 33, was bitten multiple times in the leg by his "pit-bull type dog" at his home in the 4300 block of Badosa Road. Crawford's wife shot the dog dead when she could not restrain it, police said. Police said there appeared to be a domestic disturbance when the dog attacked Crawford. Three North Port officers and an animal control officer responded and found the animal lying on the ground dead and Crawford bleeding from the leg. Crawford was flown to Lee Memorial Hospital.—http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090815/article/908151030

The Prince George's County ban has reduced pit bull maulings, just as the bans in Denver, Ontario, Council Bluffs and other areas have:

"Taylor said that during the first five to seven years of the ban, animal control officials would encounter an average of 1,200 pit bulls a year but that in recent years that figure has dropped by about half. According to county statistics, 36 pit bull bites, out of 619 total dog bites, were recorded in 2008, down from 95 pit bull bites, out of a total of 853, in 1996."—http://tinyurl.com/qx6c8f

September 18, 2009 — "Patricia Thiel, the 39-year-old nurse who was badly mauled by one of her boyfriend's four dogs Thursday before a neighbor fatally shot the animal, is in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital, her boyfriend said this morning. The boyfriend, Robert Jacks, 43, said both of Thiel's arms were gnawed to the bone as she tried to shield herself against an attack by Jake, a 100-pound pit bull, at their home on Coquina Way South. She had to be flown to Tampa General Hospital due to the need for emergency vascular surgery, he said. Jacks said Thiel told him she had just arrived home when she decided to let their four dogs out into the backyard. Jake and one of the other dogs got into a fight, and when Thiel tried to break it up, Jake turned on her and began mauling her, he said."